The Missing Piece
by FaizahPandora
Summary: Based loosely off season one of the show, rather than the books. Story about a girl born a werewolf, but doesn't know it. This is her fight to come to terms with what she is. In first person POV, but occasionally may be turned into 3rd person for story purposes.
1. Stone Haven

**Chapter One**

_Stone Haven_

I sat in the back seat, shivering from the cold of the early morning. It was only five o'clock am., yet I was sitting in the back seat of a silver Mercedes. I didn't know the man who was driving, but considering how things had been the past few days, that was the least of my problems. I was scared, but not of the man who was driving. He was supposedly the friend of a friend who knew what was wrong with me. I doubted that severely.

I looked out the window at the passing scenery, New York state flying by so quickly I knew we weren't doing the speed limit. I had lived with my mother in Oklahoma since I could remember. But that wasn't an option any more. My mom was gone, dead, and it was all my fault. Sometimes I swore I could still hear her voice, reminding me to brush my teeth or take my vitamins.

Just like that my eyes teared up, and I had to push back the sadness and sorrow. I was a strong girl, and very private, and I didn't want the man driving to see me upset. I never let anyone see me cry, not even my mom since I was about eight years old. Perhaps I had to grow up too soon, what with being the oldest child of six and none of the sperm donor fathers bothering to step up to the plate. Either way, I hated people seeing me vulnerable and weak.

I sniffled, unable to stop myself. Immediately I noticed the man glance at me through the rear view mirror. I stiffened, glaring back at him with my cocoa brown eyes. And yes, there is a difference between cocoa brown and chocolate brown. I didn't get that warm hue to my eyes that you associate with chocolate. Nope, my eyes were brown but bordered on black, like pure cocoa powder does.

He seemed to sizing me up, looking me over to see how well I was handling everything that had happened in the past week. It didn't seem like a week. It didn't feel like my mother had been killed seven days ago, or that her funeral had been two days ago. It also didn't feel like it had been less time than that. Somehow, it felt like yesterday and yet a hundred years ago.

"Are you sure you don't want me to turn on the heater?" The man asked, her voice a welcoming respite from the silence. And somehow comforting in the depth of tone.

I shook my head. He had asked me the same question what felt like a million times already. The cold, normally avoided by me, was a respite for me. It allowed me to think, to focus. And at the same time, it was like a punishment. After all, it was my fault that my family had been torn apart; that my mom was dead. Being cold for a few hours was the least I could do.

"You want the radio on?" He asked, fishing now.

I knew he wanted to get me to talk. I hadn't spoken at all since my mom had been killed. I hadn't even been able to say goodbye to my brothers and sisters. And I had wanted to! But how could I have explained that mom's death, mom's murder, was my fault? How could I explain to them that I was sick, that I couldn't step up and take care of us because at any time one of them could have been the next one? It had broke my heart to see them leave, go to their fathers or grandparents or even into the foster system.

My eyes watered again, and I closed them quickly to keep the man from seeing the tears in my eyes. I refused to let him see me as weak. Instead, I kept my eyes closed, leaned my head forward so my walnut brown hair fell over my face, and listened to the silence. It droned in my ears, piercing my mind, and all I wanted was relief. But I couldn't sleep, hadn't been able to eat much, and I refused to start crying.

It didn't feel like long, but soon I felt the car start to slow down. The man driving actually came to a stop at a light, and turned around to look at me. He handed me a candy bar, a Snickers, before he spoke. "We will be there in only a few minutes. You're going to need the endorphines from the chocolate. I have to make a call."

I just took the candy bar, figuring I would need the feel good chemicals in the candy. The place he was taking me would be my new home, and the people there would be my new family. Kind of like they adopted me, but I wasn't allowed to leave the family. It was this or prison for what I had done. And since my sickness would be worse in prison, this was my only option.

I opened the candy bar slowly, my fingers moving clumsily from the cold. I heard the man dial a number and speak into the cell phone, but I wasn't listening to what was said. I was trying to focus on anything else. I wasn't pleased to be here, wasn't pleased to find myself among strangers, and I didn't want people to sit there and poke and prod at me. My emotional state was fragile enough without people trying to find the weak spots.

The man driving looked at me from the mirror again, a sympathetic smile on his face. "Jeremy Danvers will be up when we get there, and he is expecting you. You'll talk with only him and Elena at first, and be introduced to the rest of the family slowly." He explained. I simply arched a brow at him. The names he gave me meant nothing to me, but that didn't seem to stop him. "Jeremy will explain everything. And Elena will be there to help you out, as another woman. You'll like her." He said gently.

I shrugged, not really caring at that moment. It wasn't like they were really my family. They were a bunch of strangers, probably as much to themselves as to me. The only reason I was going to them was because of my sickness, for they were supposedly people that could teach me to cope with it. But I didn't want to cope with it. I wanted to get rid of it, to be cured, to be normal again. Because, if I was normal I could go and get my brothers and sisters and take them home.

And we could be a family again...

"Tiffany, this isn't the end of the world." The man driving said. I couldn't look at him, because it felt like the end of the world to me.

We sat in silence for another five minutes, with me staring out the window. I read the archway, saying StoneHaven in beautiful carved letters. There was practically a forest here, as their front yard, and a part of me relaxed a bit. I liked forests, woods, where I could take a walk and clear my head with the sound of birds singing. It was autumn, so the trees were colored, but I could barely see it with the darkness all around. I found myself looking forward to the daylight hours, when I could see the trees in all their colored glory.

The house, or rather a manor, was large and obviously old. I felt my jaw drop as I looked at it. The manor looked like a house out of my dreams, the kind of old age house that made you feel automatically comfortable and awestruck. And the forest came right up to the house on one full side. There was even a full pull around driveway, nearly taking the car right up to the front door. I was excited, more so than I could ever describe.

I was in total awe...


	2. Meeting with the Pack

**Chapter Two**

_Meeting with the Pack_

The knock on the door woke me, though I could hardly say I'd been sleeping. After the talk with Jeremy Danvers and Elena Michaels last night, Elena had shown me to a room. It was obvious that a guy used to use the room, but I didn't mind. Jeremy had said I could redecorate any way I wanted. I didn't even want to bother with it. I didn't plan on getting attached.

"Tiffany, its time for breakfast." Elena called through the door.

I sighed, getting up and out of bed. I hadn't bothered getting unpacked last night. By the time the conversation between Elena, Jeremy and myself had finished, I had been exhausted and mentally numbed and just wanted to lay down. I had ended up dozing off, but now I wished I hadn't. My mind had been caught in that strange place between awake and asleep, where even the slightest creak seemed terrifying.

I went over to my suitcase, unzipping it slowly. I didn't want to get any of the clothes caught in the zipper, because some of my mom's clothes were in there. It was the last thing I had of her, besides a few pictures and a small urn with a handful of her ashes. I dressed in a pair of jeans and a black tee shirt before pulling on my high top converse. I pulled a brush through my brown hair, looking in the mirror.

I seemed to have aged ten years in the past week. I used to be a typical carefree seventeen year old, a smile always lighting up my eyes. But today I was pale, with dark circles under my eyes. I swore I was getting frown lines around the corners of the mouth, and my entire face had a sad cast to it. It surprised me how much my expression mirrored how I was feeling. I used to be so enthusiastic, yet now I couldn't even force a smile to my face.

Another knock on the door. "Tiffany? Are you alright?" Jeremy this time, from the sound of it.

I sighed, going over to the door and opening it. I didn't say anything, just stood there with the door open to show Jeremy I was fine. He smiled patiently down at me, standing only an inch or two taller than me. I didn't want to play this game; the one where he tries to cheer me up by making useless small talk. I just wanted to get breakfast done and over with, so I could then return to my room and hide from the world.

Jeremy didn't say anything else, just gestured with an arm sweeping gesture towards the stairs. I sighed in frustration, all but stomping down the stairs. I heard Jeremy chuckle behind me, which just made me more irritated. I had lost my mother, been torn from my siblings and the only family I had known, and practically thrown at Jeremy Danvers and a bunch of other people I didn't know. My entire world had been turned upside down, and Jeremy Danvers seemed to think it was funny.

However, I was surprised when I entered the kitchen. It was large but built in a way that gave it an otherworldy rustic feel. I didn't want to admit it, but with what little of it I had seen I adored the house. It was everything I had ever dreamed of. But the man at the stove gave me pause. He was large, taller than me and it seemed the tallest person in the house. He had shoulder length hair and some scruff of a beard on his face. His expression, though, like he was both tortured and angry. I wanted to turn tail and run the other direction.

Elena was sitting at the table, talking to another man. This one was taller than Elena, though his height was a mystery until I could see him standing. He was thin, almost wiry in comparison to the man cooking. But he seemed to exude confidence and sex. I made a mental note to avoid him at all costs. On the table there was quite the spread, from pancakes to sausage to bacon and toast and even bagels. My mouth watered just looking at it all.

"Take a seat, Tiffany. We will eat shortly." Jeremy said gently and quietly.

This got the attention of the others in the room. All three turned to look at me, their eyes telling me three different stories. Elena seemed glad to see me, but there was compassion and what could have been pity in her eyes. The man sitting next to Elena seemed curious, but happy to see me. The man cooking looked me up and down, as if sizing me up. I could imagine him wondering when or if he would end up killing me.

I must have whimpered, or someone had read my mind, because I watched Elena turn to the man cooking. She had a smile on her face, and she looked at him tenderly before she spoke. "Clay, dear, stop staring at her. She's frightened."

And just like that, I noticed a difference in his face. It relaxed, brightened, and he seemed to be a completely different person in that moment. I was surprised, shocked, mesmerized. I couldn't believe my own eyes. But there it was. The man, Clay, turned his attention to Elena and smiled slowly. It was obvious the two of them loved each other, in that special soul deep way.

I wanted that...

But reality was cruel, and I knew I would never have that. I didn't know anyone here, and even before things had been turned upside down guys just weren't interested. I was too plain, and I knew that. It had never felt important, though. So I don't know why the thought suddenly came to me that I wanted love and affection and romantic attention.

"Take a seat, Tiffany." Jeremy said, smiling. "This is Clay," Jeremy nodded towards the one that had been cooking, but was now just smiling down at Elena. "And this is Nick." He nodded now to the one that had been sitting next to Elena.

He was standing now, and I was surprised with his height. Jeremy was what appeared to be five ten, which would put Clay at six foot to six one. But Nick was taller, looking to be at least six three, if not six four. They made me look short in comparison, at a mere five five. Honestly, I felt like a midget in those few moments.

Nick got up, moving with more grace than I would have given him, and came around the table to pull my chair out. I blushed a little; no one had ever pulled a chair out for me. Nick had a charming smile on his face, but as I sat down Elena started laughing. I looked around, wondering if I had just walked into some sort of joke or prank. I found Elena was still laughing, and Jeremy and Clay were smiling with amusement at Nick.

So it wasn't me that had caused this, but instead it was Nick. I smiled nervously, not certain why they seemed so amused. Nick just smiled back at them, which further confused me. No one said anything, so I was left in the dark. Unless I wanted to bring it up, ask about it and possibly make myself look like a fool. I wasn't willing to do that.

It took Clay about two minutes to finish cooking and join the rest of us at the table. I was about to start eating, but I noticed everyone else was watching Jeremy. I looked at them with confusion. Did they say grace? My family had never practiced any set religion, mostly it was a combination of them all. But who was I to say that their beliefs were wrong or bad?

I set my silverware down and watched Jeremy as well. No one moved, or made a sound, they just watched Jeremy with an intensity I didn't understand. Jeremy took a bite of sausage, chewed it with a look of appreciation before nodding to the others. Only then did they all pick up silverware and dig into their food.

Now I was even more confused. I wanted to ask what that was all about, but I didn't dare. I didn't want to make a fool of myself, and I felt certain that I would if I asked the questions that were bouncing around in my mind. That was one problem with me. I'm a very proud teenager, sometimes people tell me I even have a superiority complex, but I hate to be made a fool of or to feel like a fool.

Clay seemed to notice that I seemed distant and confused, and spoke up. "Jeremy is the alpha. We don't eat as a pack unless he tells us we are allowed to." He explained.

That just made me even more confused. They acted like a wolf pack, but then that shouldn't have been too surprising to me. We were all werewolves. But was this really the way they worked? Every meal, waiting for one person to give them the okay to eat? I couldn't understand why it was like that, but again, I couldn't bring myself to ask why. Apparently that wasn't the only thing they had planned to teach me that day, either.

Jeremy spoke up after swallowing what was in his mouth. "After breakfast, we are going to help you blow off some steam. The whole pack is going for a run." He said, giving me that gentle smile that meant what he was suggesting was supposed to be a good idea.

To me it felt like someone had punched me in the stomach. I hoped, prayed, he meant running as humans. The last thing I wanted to do, yes, even less than making a fool of myself, was to transform into the wolf again. The very idea terrified me, though no one else seemed at all concerned about it. Which begged the question.

Where had I been sent to?


	3. A Pack Run

**Chapter Three**

_A Pack Run_

Breakfast went normally after the whole 'Jeremy-eats-first' thing. I realized quickly, however, that this pack of werewolves ate like they were starving. Or maybe that was werewolves in general. I had been trying to eat normally, but in the past week I had found that I was hungry. Always hungry. I could eat a Thanksgiving Feast to myself, and an hour later be hungry again.

So it was with great relish that I dug into the breakfast. That was, once I realized that I wasn't the only one with a huge appetite. There was enough food there to feed a small army, so I wasn't shy about eating my fill. After I was done, I looked around and saw the rest of them looking at me with a smile on their face. Well, all except Clay. He seemed to be studying me again, which set me on edge. I don't know how Elena could be in a relationship with him, because he just scared the living daylights out of me.

I blushed slightly, wondering why they were staring at me. Had I done something wrong? Well, that didn't make sense. Why would they be smiling if I had done something wrong. So what had I done to catch their attention? I didn't want to ask, but it was obvious I was going to have to.

"What?" Was all I said.

Elena laughed slightly before answering. "All werewolves have a large appetite. It's just nice to see a young one that's not trying to hide it." She explained.

Needless to say, I was surprised. I shrugged, suddenly nervous with the attention I was getting. Thankfully it didn't last long. Jeremy set his hands on the table, and got to his feet. Just like that, everyone's attention turned to him. This was obviously going to take some getting used to. Never before had every move of mine been a chance to screw up. And never before had someone been watching my every move. I wondered if rank breaches were met with violence, like they would have been in a real wolf pack.

Not that I wanted to find out.

Jeremy smiled down at us, a happy and content smile. I wondered how he could be so happy considering what we were. I couldn't control it, yet Jeremy and the others seemed so confident. I was terrified of the likelihood of having to change. I had never chosen to change, it had always just forced itself upon me.

"Let's get outside, and take a run. I'm sure we could all benefit from it." He said, his smile not wavering once.

I stayed in my seat, even though the others had gotten up and were heading outside. I didn't dare follow them. I just wanted to run back upstairs, to my room, and hide from all of this. I wanted to go home, back to mom and my brothers and sisters. But it felt like I couldn't move. I didn't even notice that Elena had come over and stood next to me. At least, I didn't notice until she set her hand gently on my shoulder.

"Tiffany, are you alright?" She asked calmly and quietly. Her voice was soft and gentle.

I shook my head. "I'm going to go back to my room. You guys go without me." I said softly, unable to talk louder without my voice breaking.

Jeremy shook his head, for the first time his smile slipping away. "You need to learn to control this, Tiffany. It seems intimidating, especially considering what has happened. But this doesn't have to be a curse." He said, his voice still calm, gentle and quiet.

I wondered how he could do it. How he could be so calm and quiet considering what they all were. I felt like there was a monster inside me. No, that wasn't quiet right. The wolf within me wasn't a separate entity. It was me, so I guess I felt like a monster. And no one had even taken the time to explain what was happening. I was a strong person, but this was just too much for me.

Jeremy came over, taking Elena's place at my side. With two fingers under my chin he urged me to look him in the eye. The moment I did, it was strange. A part of me felt like I was falling forward, hypnotized. I wanted to crawl into his blue eyes and stay there, where I could be safe from what I was. The other part of me wanted to kneel down in front of him, drop my eyes and hope I hadn't offended him. I didn't understand the second part of me, of my reaction, but it was there.

"I know this all seems scarey, Tiffany. As Elena and I explained to you, your father must have been one of us, a Mutt. Never before has a female child been born a wolf. You're the first, that we know of. I know the first change can be terrifying, but that's why you're here. To learn to control it." He said. I could do nothing more than nod, not even break eye contact with him.

But I also couldn't help the hysterical laugh that was sounding in my head. The first change, my first change, was more than scary. It had resulted in the death of my mother. The murder of my mother. And how was I going to be forgiven for that? Most people guilty of murder ended up in prison, and I had been thrown at a family of people hiding in New York state. A family of werewolves.

Jeremy nodded to me, and I could see Elena wearing a small and assuring smile. I didn't smile back, and my eyes were still locked with Jeremy's. I literally couldn't look away from him, and that was alarming to me. I was headstrong and determined, and I hated the feeling of helplessness I had at the moment. It alarmed me, and for a moment I thought I was going to panic.

Suddenly Jeremy's demands on my attention seemed less, and I took the opportunity to look away. He nodded to the rest of the people, and everyone but Elena left. Even Jeremy headed out with the other guys. I looked around the kitchen for a moment, not wanting to look at Elena and see the pitying expression there. The sound of cloth being tossed onto a table or chair caught my attention, though.

Elena was standing there, getting undressed, her back towards me. There must have been a mirror on the other side, because she seemed to know I was watching her. Her voice was calm and accepting when she spoke.

"You should start getting undressed. Shifting while clothed is difficult, and often painful." She smiled at me, I know because I could hear it in her voice when she spoke again. "Not to mention the hassle of constantly having to go clothes shopping."

That comment made me feel less horrible about it all. I could feel my usual brightness spark back up, and I couldn't help but smile. A small bark of a laugh escaped my lips before I even knew it was going to happen. And upon the first laugh, I couldn't stop myself from continuing. I burst out laughing, happy and feeling a bit ludicrous all at the same time. The absurdity of this entire situation had finally hit me.

Elena looked at me over her shoulder and smiled. The kind of smile an older sister gives a younger sister when she finally put the last piece of a puzzle together and is feeling the joy of a job well done. Without my laughter stopping, I started getting undressed. I was going to follow Elena's lead on this, since it would be only the second time I ever shifted.

I rather liked my wolf form. At least, I thought my wolf was beautiful. Seeing her for the first time in the mirror, I was amazed. Where my hair was an ugly dark shade of brown, her fur was a rich brown with streaks of red and gold in it. Well, I couldn't really tell if they were streaks, highlights or just the way the light danced off her fur. The very tip of her tail was white, and her front right leg from the elbow joint down was white. White as if she had stepped in white paint. Her eyes were gold, like a wolf, but sometimes I could see the human brown come forward.

Elena led the way out of the kitchen, me following slightly behind her. I was practically slinking behind her, afraid of what people would think. A part of me knew it was ridiculous, since I was among other wolves now. But I was so used to living on the outskirts of normalcy, of acceptance, that I guess it was a hard habit to break. Compared to me, Elena was confidence personified. Her wolf was more golden colored, with an arrow shaped saddle mark of almost bronze colored brown. Burnished bronze, someone had once told me that color was.

The guys were all in a circle, waiting for us. There was a pile of clothes off to the side. Jeremy, and I could tell it was Jeremy from his scent, was brown in color like me. Though his brown seemed to sit over shades of gray, like a typical wolf. Clay was also brown, but a much more reddish colored brown. And Nick, the only other pack member I knew, was golden brown in color. Almost like a dirty blonde color. They had told me that there was one more member of the pack, Logan, but he was off with his pregnant girlfriend.

Jeremy nodded to me, a sign of approval I guess, before he trotted off into the woods. The others started following him, and when Elena moved towards the woods I stuck close to her. For some reason, I felt more drawn to her. Probably because she was also a woman, and she wasn't a domineering as Clay or as scary as Jeremy could be. And my problem with Nick? I didn't have a problem with Nick, but I also didn't know him. And I avoided people I didn't know.

We hit the treeline at a trot, but within ten feet of being in the woods the entire pack was running. I was beginning to relax, my body loving the exertion of the run and the feeling of breathlessness it created. It was a freeing feeling. And the sensitive nose let me know where every member of the pack was almost at all times. My eyesight was a bit different, a wider view but things stuck out less. Like I was having problems with my depth perception.

The run made me feel free, a feeling I had never quite had before. I felt like if I kept running, I could outrun all my problems. It felt like nothing could hurt me, if I could only keep running. Eventually I became more bold, running faster and faster. I even outran Jeremy. And the rest of the pack just ran behind me, sometimes howling with joy.

I felt like I belonged...


End file.
